Low height type actuator capable of performing a two-dimension motion

Abstract

A low height type actuator capable of performing a two-dimensional motion includes a magnet structure that includes a first array in which the first and second magnets are alternately arranged in x-direction and a second array in which the first and second magnets are alternately arranged in y-direction, and first and second wirings. The first wiring crosses the first magnets included in the first array in y-direction, and the second wiring crosses the first magnets included in the second array in x-direction. According to the present invention, by making current flow in the first and second wirings, a two-dimensional motion can be achieved. Further, since the first and second wirings are each a planar wiring that crosses the magnets, height reduction can be achieved.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An actuator comprising:
 a magnet structure including a plurality of first magnets each having an N-pole magnetic pole face positioned at a first plane extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and a plurality of second magnets each having an S-pole magnetic pole face positioned at the first plane; 
 a support substrate supporting the magnet structure; 
 a first wiring formed into a meander shape on a second plane parallel to the first plane, the first wiring including a plurality of first meander lines extending in the first direction and arranged in the second direction, and 
 a second wiring formed into a meander shape on a third plane parallel to the first plane, the second wiring including a plurality of second meander lines extending in the second direction and arranged in the first direction, 
 wherein each of the plurality of first meander lines and each of the plurality of second meander lines cross on an associated one of the first magnets or an associated one of the second magnets, 
 wherein the magnet structure includes a first array in which the first and second magnets are alternately arranged in the first direction and a second array in which the first and second magnets are alternately arranged in the second direction, 
 wherein the first wiring includes a first wiring part that crosses the first magnets in the first array in the second direction and a second wiring part that crosses the second magnets in the first array in the second direction, the first and second wiring parts being configured to flow current in opposite directions, 
 wherein the second wiring includes a third wiring part that crosses the first magnets in the second array in the first direction and a fourth wiring part that crosses the second magnets in the second array in the first direction, the third and fourth wiring parts being configured to flow current in opposite directions, and 
 wherein a thermal diffusivity of the support substrate is lower than that of the magnet structure. 
 
     
     
       2. The actuator as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an optical lens and a circuit board supporting the first and second wirings,
 wherein the optical lens is fixed to one of the circuit board and magnet structure. 
 
     
     
       3. An actuator comprising:
 a magnet structure having a plurality of magnets each having a magnetic pole face on a first flat plane, wherein the plurality of magnets include first, second, third, and fourth magnets, wherein the first and second magnets are adjacent to each other in a first direction, wherein the third and fourth magnets are adjacent to each other in the first direction, wherein the first and fourth magnets are adjacent to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the second and third magnets are adjacent to each other in the second direction, wherein the magnetic pole face of each of the first and third magnets on the first flat plane is an N-pole, and wherein the magnetic pole face of each of the second and fourth magnets on the first flat plane is an S-pole; 
 a first wiring including first, second, third, and fourth sections, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth sections of the first wirings cross the first, second, third, and fourth magnets in the first direction, respectively, and wherein the first and third sections of the first wiring and the second and fourth sections of the first wiring are configured to flow current in opposite directions; and 
 a second wiring including first, second, third, and fourth sections, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth sections of the second wirings cross the first, second, third, and fourth magnets in the second direction, respectively, and wherein the first and third sections of the second wiring and the second and fourth sections of the second wiring are configured to flow current in opposite directions. 
 
     
     
       4. The actuator as claimed in  claim 3 ,
 wherein the plurality of magnets further includes fifth and sixth magnets arranged in the second direction, 
 wherein the second and fifth magnets are adjacent to each other in the first direction such that the second magnet is arranged between the first and fifth magnets in the first direction, 
 wherein the third and sixth magnets are adjacent to each other in the first direction such that the third magnet is arranged between the fourth and sixth magnets in the first direction, 
 wherein the magnetic pole face of the fifth magnet on the first flat plane is an N-pole, 
 wherein the magnetic pole face of the sixth magnet on the first flat plane is an S-pole, 
 wherein the first wiring further includes fifth and sixth sections that cross the fifth and sixth magnets in the first direction, respectively, 
 wherein the first, third, and fifth sections of the first wiring and the second, fourth, and sixth sections of the first wiring are configured to flow current in opposite directions, 
 wherein the second wiring further includes fifth and sixth sections that cross the fifth and sixth magnets in the second direction, respectively, and 
 wherein the first, third, and fifth sections of the second wiring and the second, fourth, and sixth sections of the second wiring are configured to flow current in opposite directions. 
 
     
     
       5. The actuator as claimed in  claim 4 ,
 wherein the plurality of magnets further includes seventh, eighth and ninth magnets arranged in the first direction such that the eighth magnet is arranged between the seventh and ninth magnets in the first direction, 
 wherein the fourth and seventh magnets are adjacent to each other in the second direction such that the fourth magnet is arranged between the first and seventh magnets in the second direction, 
 wherein the third and eighth magnets are adjacent to each other in the second direction such that the third magnet is arranged between the second and eighth magnets in the second direction, 
 wherein the sixth and ninth magnets are adjacent to each other in the second direction such that the sixth magnet is arranged between the fifth and ninth magnets in the second direction, 
 wherein the magnetic pole face of each of the seventh and ninth magnets on the first flat plane is an N-pole, 
 wherein the magnetic pole face of the eighth magnet on the first flat plane is an S-pole, 
 wherein the first wiring further includes seventh, eighth and ninth sections that cross the seventh, eighth and ninth magnets in the first direction, respectively, 
 wherein the first, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth sections of the first wiring and the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth sections of the first wiring are configured to flow current in opposite directions, 
 wherein the second wiring further includes seventh, eighth and ninth sections that cross the seventh, eighth and ninth magnets in the second direction, respectively, and 
 wherein the first, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth sections of the second wiring and the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth sections of the second wiring are configured to flow current in opposite directions. 
 
     
     
       6. The actuator as claimed in  claim 5 ,
 wherein the first, fourth, and seventh sections of the first wiring constitute a first meander-shaped line extending in the second direction, 
 wherein the second, third, and eighth sections of the first wiring constitute a second meander-shaped line extending in the second direction, 
 wherein the fifth, sixth, and ninth sections of the first wiring constitute a third meander-shaped line extending in the second direction, 
 wherein the first, second, and fifth sections of the second wiring constitute a fourth meander-shaped line extending in the first direction, 
 wherein the fourth, third, and sixth sections of the second wiring constitute a fifth meander-shaped line extending in the first direction, 
 wherein the seventh, eighth, and ninth sections of the second wiring constitute a sixth meander-shaped line extending in the first direction, 
 wherein the first, second, and third meander-shaped lines are arranged in the first direction, and 
 wherein the fourth, fifth, and sixth meander-shaped lines are arranged in the second direction. 
 
     
     
       7. The actuator as claimed in  claim 6 ,
 wherein the second meander-shaped line is connected between the first and third meander-shaped lines, and 
 wherein the fifth meander-shaped line is connected between the fourth and sixth meander-shaped lines. 
 
     
     
       8. The actuator as claimed in  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first wiring further includes tenth and eleventh sections extending in the second direction, 
 wherein each of the second and third sections of the first wiring having a first end in the first direction, 
 wherein each of the third and eighth sections of the first wiring having a second end in the first direction, 
 wherein the tenth section of the first wiring is connected between the first end of the second section of the first wiring and the first end of the third section of the first wiring, and 
 wherein the eleventh section of the first wiring is connected between the second end of the third section of the first wiring and the second end of the eighth section of the first wiring. 
 
     
     
       9. The actuator as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the tenth section of the first wiring overlaps each of the second and third sections of the first wiring. 
     
     
       10. The actuator as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the eleventh section of the first wiring overlaps each of the third and eighth sections of the first wiring. 
     
     
       11. The actuator as claimed in  claim 10 ,
 wherein the second wiring further includes tenth and eleventh sections extending in the first direction, 
 wherein each of the third and fourth sections of the second wiring having a third end in the second direction, 
 wherein each of the third and sixth sections of the second wiring having a fourth end in the second direction, 
 wherein the tenth section of the second wiring is connected between the third end of the third section of the second wiring and the third end of the fourth section of the second wiring, and 
 wherein the eleventh section of the second wiring is connected between the fourth end of the third section of the second wiring and the fourth end of the sixth section of the second wiring. 
 
     
     
       12. The actuator as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the tenth section of the second wiring overlaps each of the third and fourth sections of the second wiring. 
     
     
       13. The actuator as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the eleventh section of the second wiring overlaps each of the third and sixth sections of the second wiring. 
     
     
       14. An actuator comprising:
 a magnet structure having a plurality of magnets each having a magnetic pole face on a first flat plane, wherein the plurality of magnets include first, second, third, fourth, and fifth magnets, wherein the first, second, and third magnets are arranged in a first direction such that the second magnet is arranged between the first and third magnets in the first direction, wherein the second, fourth, and fifth magnets are arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction such that the second magnet is arranged between the fourth and fifth magnets in the second direction, wherein the magnetic pole face of the second magnet on the first flat plane is an N-pole, and wherein the magnetic pole face of each of the first, third, fourth, and fifth magnets on the first flat plane is an S-pole; 
 a first wiring including first, second, and third sections extending in the second direction and fourth and fifth sections extending in the first direction, wherein the first, second, and third sections of the first wirings overlap the first, second, and third magnets, respectively, wherein each of the first and second sections of the first wiring having a first end in the second direction, wherein each of the second and third sections of the first wiring having a second end in the second direction, wherein the fourth section of the first wiring is connected between the first end of the first section of the first wiring and the first end of the second section of the first wiring, and wherein the fifth section of the first wiring is connected between the second end of the second section of the first wiring and the second end of the third section of the first wiring; and 
 a second wiring including first, second, and third sections extending in the first direction and fourth and fifth sections extending in the second direction, wherein the first, second, and third sections of the second wirings overlap the fourth, second, and fifth magnets, respectively, wherein each of the first and second sections of the second wiring having a third end in the first direction, wherein each of the second and third sections of the second wiring having a fourth end in the first direction, wherein the fourth section of the second wiring is connected between the third end of the first section of the second wiring and the third end of the second section of the second wiring, and wherein the fifth section of the second wiring is connected between the fourth end of the second section of the second wiring and the fourth end of the third section of the second wiring. 
 
     
     
       15. The actuator as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the second section of the first wiring and the second section of the second wiring cross each other on the second magnet. 
     
     
       16. The actuator as claimed in  claim 15 ,
 wherein the fourth section of the first wiring and the fourth section of the second wiring cross each other on the second magnet, and 
 wherein the fifth section of the first wiring and the fifth section of the second wiring cross each other on the second magnet.